ISL: Petr Kratky Extends Stay with Mumbai City by one season

As the dust settles on Mumbai City FC’s triumph in the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup Final against Mohun Bagan SG, the club has announced that head coach Petr Kratky’s contract has been extended by a year till the end of the 2025/26 season.

Hailing from the Czech Republic, the 42-year-old former defender took charge of the Islanders in December 2023, midway through the season, and will look to build on this past season. Mumbai City FC is Kratky’s first permanent assignment as a head coach, and he has overseen 23 games, winning 16 and drawing three. Under Kratky’s tutelage, the side scaled great heights as they went on to register their highest ever points total in the league phase of the ISL (47 points).

After the dynamic manager steered the ship through some choppy waters in the initial weeks, the Islanders’ juggernaut picked up speed, with the home talent shining through. Since Kratky took over, 23 of 37 - over 62%- of the club’s goals in the ISL were scored by Indians. Before the defeat to Mohun Bagan SG on the final day of the league, Mumbai City FC had also been on a 9-game unbeaten run. The team also dug deep to fight back from losing positions in both the ISL semi-final and final.

Kratky, who had never been to India before, will now set his targets on the upcoming seasons. Speaking on the occasion, Kratky said, “My first season with Mumbai City FC has been fantastic, the team and the whole squad is full of ambitious people, who stick together no matter what happens. It was of course great to finish the season with the ISL Cup, and next season we will come back and look to be stronger, and more consistent in all our processes. There is some great footballing talent in India, and I am delighted at the chance to continue to work with them.”

"We are all delighted to extend Petr's contract by a further year till the end of the 2025/26 season. He has been an immensely decisive cog in the wheel since he joined the team, and more than anything, he understands the footballing philosophy and has gone on to build on it as well. With him at the helm, we are confident we will continue to play entertaining and attractive football, much like the other teams under the City Football Group’s umbrella. I would like to wish him the very best," said Mumbai City FC CEO Kandarp Chandra.

About Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC was formed in August 2014 and is a club competing in the Indian Super League. The Islanders, as the club is fondly known, is the only team in India to have won the unique ‘double’, winning the Hero ISL League and the Playoffs in the 2020-21 season. Mumbai City FC, who are two-time winners of the ISL League Shield and the ISL Cup, won the competitions in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.
In Asia, Mumbai City FC has competed in the 2022 AFC Champions League, where it finished second in Group B and became the first Indian club to register wins in the continent’s premier club competition. The Islanders also participated in the 2023-24 AFC Champions League.

Originally owned by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and businessman Bimal Parekh, City Football Group acquired a majority stake in Mumbai City FC in November 2019. The team joined the likes of Manchester City FC, New York City FC and Melbourne City FC and others in the CFG family. Mumbai City FC plays its home games at the 6,500-seater Mumbai Football Arena located in Andheri, Mumbai. The club’s crest houses key elements that represent the city of Mumbai and is a reflection of the dynamic, relentless and modern values that define Mumbai City FC.